1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to fixing mechanisms, and more particularly, to a fixing mechanism for fixing a functional extension card to a mechanical frame, without using any screws or tools.
2. Description of Related Art
As computer systems have become more common in the workplace and in the home, there has become a need to make these computer systems more adaptable and interchangeable to allow the customization of a computer system to a particular user's needs. Also, it has become necessary to enable the user to change functions or to add new functions to the computer system. When a new hardware function is added to a computer system, the electronics for implementing this function are often contained in a self-contained, pluggable, option card. The option card contains a circuit card mounted with a variety of electronic components that implement the required electronic function. For example, the option card may provide a 3-D drawing card, a sound card, a processor, expanded memory, an I/O card, a network adaptor, or a video card or other functions or combinations of functions. The circuit card having an electronics package constructed is easily configured in a computer system by inserting the package into a provided slot of the computer system.
FIG. 1 illustrates a conventional method of fastening a functional extension card to the mechanical frame of the computer system. As shown, an functional extension card 6 is fixed on a bayonet board 5, the golden fingers of the extension card 6 are inserted into the provided slot, and then the bayonet bard 5 is fastened onto the mechanical frame 3 by a screw 7, thereby fastening the bayonet board 5 in order to fix the extension card 6 on the mechanical frame 3.
However, the foregoing method of fastening an option card has gradually failed to meet the demands of function varieties. In compliance with the operation of normal service servers, there have been increasingly numbers of functional extension cards being designed to have hot-pluggable ability on booting the system for the purpose of switching and replacing the damaged functional extension card. Thus, using screws to fasten an extension card can be disastrous because an inadvertent loose of the screw may cause short circuits and serious damages to the electrical components, which in turn may bring to a stop of a service server of a network engaging in a financial trading, causing significant damages that cannot be compensated by replacing a server unit or its peripheral components.
Moreover, the contact of the functional extension card with the extension slot also needs to be considered besides inserting the card into the slot. If a functional extension card is not securely fastened to the mechanical frame, it may easily come off due to the vibrations and thus lose the electronic function or result in bad contacts or even cause damages to the system.
Therefore, it is desirable to develop a novel mechanism that can improve on the drawbacks of prior art techniques by avoiding the use of screws or tools for assembly, and is also user-friendly.